ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals’ 82-game regular-season schedule for 2008-09 begins on Friday, Oct. 10, at the Atlanta Thrashers, and features games against each of the 29 other NHL teams, including 22 weekend home games at Verizon Center. The team will raise the 2007-08 Southeast Division championship banner at the Oct. 11 home opener against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The 2008-09 NHL schedule format has the Capitals facing the other teams in the Southeast Division six times each and the remaining Eastern Conference opponents four times each. Washington plays each team in the Western Conference at least once, with two games each against Columbus, Los Angeles and Nashville. Nine Western Conference teams will visit Verizon Center, including the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings (Jan. 31).

Washington’s schedule includes four separate homestands of at least four games, all of which fall after New Year’s Day. The longest homestand, five games, stretches from Feb. 18-26. The other three four-game homestands are: Jan. 1-9, March 1-8 and March 27-April 5. Washington will close out the regular season with three straight road games, April 7-11, while the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four occupies Verizon Center.

More than half of the Capitals’ 41 home games at Verizon Center fall on weekends, including eight Friday games, eight Saturday games and six Sunday games. The schedule features holiday home games on the day before Thanksgiving (Nov. 26 against Atlanta), the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 28 against Montreal), the day after Christmas (Dec. 26 vs. Buffalo) and New Year’s Day (Tampa Bay).

All but seven of Washington’s home games are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Select Sunday game start times are subject to change should they be selected for national broadcast on NBC.

The team has only two road trips longer than three games, both five games long (Nov. 15-24 and March 16-24). The Capitals will play 13 sets of games on consecutive days during the course of the season, including consecutive home games on Jan. 31 (Detroit) and February 1 (Ottawa).

Capitals season tickets are available now by calling 202-266-CAPS. Fans can select their seats for the upcoming season at an Open House at Verizon Center on Thursday, July 24, from 6-8 p.m., and can RSVP for that event at WashingtonCaps.com. Capitals defenseman Mike Green and alumnus Yvon Labre will be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs. Individual game tickets will go on sale in September at a date to be determined.

Television plans will be released at a later date. All 82 Capitals games will be broadcast on Talk Radio 3WT (1500 AM, 107.7 FM, 820 AM).